TMJ and Jaw Pain Relief
Starting at the Top of the Neck

We start by asking when your jaw symptoms began, what makes them worse, and whether there was any injury such as a car accident, a fall or dental work that kept your mouth open for a long time. We examine jaw opening and tracking, neck range of motion, head posture and upper cervical alignment, and use thermal imaging to look at nervous system stress patterns.

When we find an upper cervical misalignment, Dr. Brett Berner corrects it with Orthospinology. The correction is calculated from precise X-ray measurements and delivered with a precision instrument at a light force. There is no cracking or twisting, so it is comfortable even when your jaw and neck are sore.

For many patients, correcting the atlas changes how the head balances on the neck, which can reduce the strain on the jaw muscles. Where forward head posture is a major factor, we may add Spinal Remodeling Therapy to help restore a healthier neck curve over time.

A 2012 case-control study of 71 women found that signs of cervical spine dysfunction were significantly more common in those with TMD. The authors concluded the overlap was better explained by the shared nerve supply of the trigeminocervical complex and heightened pain sensitivity than by posture alone. That fits with what we see clinically: jaw pain and neck pain tend to keep each other going.

Treatment research points in the same direction. A 2009 study in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation gave 19 people with muscle-related TMD a five-week program of manual therapy and exercise aimed only at the neck, and found reductions in jaw pain and in the tenderness of the chewing muscles. It was a small study without a control group, but it is one of several suggesting that treating the neck can help the jaw.

Research on upper cervical chiropractic for TMD specifically is still limited to small studies and case reports, and we say that plainly. What we offer is a careful assessment of whether your upper neck is part of the picture.

Because of the shared nerve pathways, jaw disorders often come with other head and neck symptoms. Many of our TMJ patients also have migraines, tension-type headaches, ear fullness or ringing, and dizziness. When several of these show up together, the upper cervical spine becomes an especially reasonable place to look, since it sits at the crossroads of all of them.

TMJ problems can also follow a car accident. The same whiplash motion that strains the neck can drive the jaw open and closed forcefully. If your jaw pain began after a collision, let us know, as it changes both how we examine you and how we document your injuries.

Most jaw pain is musculoskeletal, but some causes are not. Jaw pain that comes on with physical exertion, chest pressure or shortness of breath can be a sign of a heart problem and needs emergency care.

See your physician or dentist promptly for a jaw that is locked and will not open, swelling or fever, numbness in the face, unexplained weight loss, or pain after a direct blow to the jaw. We screen for these during your history and refer when needed.